Vehicle-frame and driving-axle gear.



'No, 732,510. PATEN TED JUNE 30, 1903. G. R. BOULDING.

VEHICLE FRAME AND DRIVING AXLE GEAR.

APPLIOATION FILED DBO. 31, 1902. no MODEL. 1 2 gnnntrs 'snnn-r 1.

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PATENTED JUNE 30, 1903'.

621R:- BOULDING. VEHICLE FRAME AND DRIVING AXLE GEAR.

APPLICATION II LED. DBO. 31, 1902.

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I0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented June 30, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE ROBERT BOULDINGQOF WELLS, NEVADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ROBERTM. STEELE AND AMOS O. OLMSTEAD, OF WELLS, NEVADA.

VEHICLE-FRAME AND DRIVING-AXLE GEAR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 732,510, dated June 30,1903.

Application filed December 31, 1902. $erialNo.137,322. (No model.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LGEORGE ROBERT BOULD? ING, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Wells, in the county of Elke and State ofNevada,have invented a new and Improved Vehicle-Frame and Driving-AxleGear, of

which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an improved gear IO for mounting thedriving-wheels of powerdriven vehicles, such as automobile carriages andtrucks and traction-engines.

In its general form the apparatus comprises a driving-axle andwheel-hubs of certain spe- I 5 cial construction mounted on the axle, sothat they may be slewed'independently thereof to steer the vehicle andso also that one wheel may turn faster than the other in roundingcorners, thus preventing sliding of the wheels.

The invention preferably is applied to the front axle, and in such casethis axle is the driver.

The invention also comprises a speciallyconstructed frame, the principalfeature of 2 5 which is its jointed arrangement,which allows the frame acertain limited flexibility, enabling the vehicle easily to ride over anuneven road-surface.

This specification is an exact description of one example of myinvention, While the claims define the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification,

in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts inall the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the vehicle-frame. Fig. 2 is a section on theline 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view on the line 33 ofFig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 0 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is asectional elevation on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. 10 indicates the frontdriving'axle, and 11 the rear axle. On each end portion of each axle ismounted a box 12, the axles turning freely in these boxes, and saidboxes, are connected longitudinally together in pairs by the sideframe-rods 14, which are loosely mounted in the boxes. The boxes 12 maybe of sectional or integral construction, as desired, and in case theyare sectional the parts may be clamped together by bolts. The boxes areheld from longitudinal movement on the axles and connecting-rods bymeans of collars or shoulders 15 or any other desired means. Thisconstruction provides a jointed frame which will work as the vehicleruns and will permit the vehicle to ride over uneven road-surfaceswithout disturbing the complete engagement of all four of the wheelswith the ground.

The rear wheels may be of any desired construction, and each front wheelcomprises a specially-constructed hub and mounting-gear, which will nowbe described. These hubs are indicated at 16, and they are preferablyformed of two disk-like sections fastened together, as illustrated. Ineach hub 16 is formed a spherical cavity 17, which receives thespherical ends 18 of the axle 10. In said spherical ends 18 one or moreshouldered 7o grooves 19 are formed, and with said grooves Work beveleddogs 20, which serve to connect the axle with the wheels as the axleturns forward, but which run idly over the spheres 18 when the axleturns rearwardly or when the Wheel is turned forward relatively to theaxle.

21 indicates springs for pressing the dogs 20 into action.'

On the boxes 12 of the axle 10 are mounted 8o rotary disks 22, which arepreferably two for each box, one at the top and one at the bottomthereof. These disks 22 engage in-tangentially-disposed grooves 23,formed inannuli 24, which are located one at each end of the axle 10 andare set into annular cavities 25, formed in the hubs 16. The grooves 23have convex walls 23 therein, which engage the disks 22.

26indicatesantifrictionbearing-ballswhich o operate between the parts 24and 16. These devices are of such arrangement that the wheels mayridefreely independently of the annuli; but when the annuli are slewed orturned around the disks 22 the wheels are enforced to movecorrespondingly, and thus the vehicle is slewed.

27 indicates the steering-rod, which passes transversely across thefront portion of the machine and which has ball-bearing connec- I00 tion28 with the respective annuli 24. A suitable steering-lever 29 may beconnected with the rod 27. I

30 indicates the motor, which I prefer to mount on the vehicle-body.

31 indicates the driving connection to the front axle, and 32 to therear axle. By this rear connection 32 the vehicle may be drivenbackward.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I provide ajointed or yielding frame and also a construction in which the vehiclemay be steered by turning the wheels on the axle; further, by connectingthe wheels with the axle through the dogs 20, as described, the wheelsmay turn ahead faster than the movement of the axle, and thiscompensates for the uneven movement of the wheels in turning curves.

Various changes in the form, proportions, and minor details ofmyinvention may be resorted to at will without departing from the spiritand scope thereof. Hence I consider myself entitled to all suchvariations as may lie within the intent of my claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In a vehicle, the combination with the frame of adriving-axle, a wheel-hub mounted to slew, a means working between theaxle and wheel-hub to drive the latter from the former, an annulus withwhich the wheel-hub has rotary connection, means for mounting saidannulus to rock on the frame, and an independent means for imparting arocking movement to the annulus.

2. The combination of a driving-axle, a wheel-hub mounted to slew, ameans working between the axle and wheel-hub to drive the latter as theformer turns in one direction, an annulus with which the wheel-hub hasrotary connection, means for mounting said annulus to rock, and meansfor imparting a rocking movement to the annulus, said means for mountingthe annulus comprising a tnrnable disk engaged with the annulus.

3. The combination of a driving-axle, a wheel-hub mounted to slew, ameans working between the axle and wheel-hub to drive the latter fromthe former, an annulus with which the wheel-hub has rotary connection,means for mountingsaid annulus to rock, and means for imparting arocking movement to the annulus, said means for mounting the annuluscomprising a turnable disk and the annulus having a convex surface onwhich the disk bears.

t. The combination of a driving-axle having a spherical end, a wheel-hubmounted loosely on said end, a dog working between the end of thedrive-shaft and the hub to drive the latter in one direction, an annuluswith which the wheel-hub has rotary connection, means for mounting saidannulus to rock, and means for imparting a rocking movement to theannulus.

5. The combination of a driving-axle having a spherical end, a wheel-hubmounted loosely on said end, a dog working between the end of thedrive-shaft and the hub to drive the latter in one direction, an annuluswith which the wheel-hub has rotaryconnection, means for mounting saidannulus to rock, and means forimparting a rocking movement to theannulus, said means for mounting the annulus comprising a turnable diskengaged therewith.

6. The combination of a driving-axle having a spherical end, a wheel-hubmounted loosely on said end, a dog working between the end of thedrive-shaft and the hub to drive the latter in one direction, an annuluswith which the wheel-hub has rotary connection, means for mounting saidannulus to rock, and means forimparting a rocking movement to theannulus, said means for mounting the annulus comprising a turnable diskand the annulus having a tangentialsurface on which the disk bears.

7. In a rectangular vehicle-frame, the combination of two axles, sideconnecting-rods passing longitudinally between them, and boxes at thefour corners of the frame, said boxes joining the rods and axles, andwith all of which boxes the rods and axles are connected to turn aroundtheir longitudinal axis.

8. The combination of adriving-axle, a box in which the same is arrangedto turn, aside frame-rod also arranged to turn in the box, an annulusmounted to rock on the box, means for rocking the annulus, and awheel-hub mounted to slew on the axle and having rotary connection withthe annulus.

9. The combination of a driving-axle, a wheel-hub mounted to slewthereon, means working between the axle and hub, to drive the latter, amember with which the wheelhub has rotary connection, means for rockablymounting said member on the frame, and an independent means for rockingsaid member.

In testimony whereof I have signed my GEORGE ROBERT BOULDING.

Witnesses:

AMos O. OLMSTED, MELS BADT.

